Process of extracting nickel.



; TED s'rATEsP TEu'r ornion HORACE-L1; wants, or NEWHAVEN, connnc'rrcu'r', nssienonorrrw rfiinns r0 MARY r1. runs, or nasr omnennnwonnsnr.

rnocnss or nirzancrme nrcxnn.

Ho Drawings Tonsil wkom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, Henson L. Warns, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods or Processes of Extracting Nickel; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same My invention relatesto'a new and useful method for separating and ext-racting nickel 1mm a matte consisting largely of nickel and copper sulfids,; or a combination of these metalswit'h other metals, as for instance,

" taming-the metais the mctaliiferous Bessemer matte or n1ckel-copper matte or r D t mg a matte containing nickel sulfid which:

gold, silver-{and the platinum group of metais, iron and cobalt.

The object of my invention is to produce an eflicient and comparatively inexpensive process-for directly extracting, a e.,

Without roasting or first reducing tometallic harm, the nickel from the matte conor accombination of the metals above specified usually contained in bodies commonly called nickel matte. j

in carryingout or practising. my process l pulverine the matte to. a fineness of 60 as sulfur,

. amount of acid heated to about 180 (sixty) mesh or finer,

material with hydrochloric acid diluted to contain eighteen to twenty-five l have found by practice that a matte analyzing about 38% nickel; 42% copper; 20% When treated with the required F. and agitated, removes or extracts the major porticn of the nickel contained in the matte but it does not extract the whole of the nickel contained therein however long continued the application of the acid may be.

I have found that the solution first obtaincdmust be separated by filtration or decautation or both and the residual matte again subjected to like acid treatment in order to remove the remaining nickel contained in the matte. During the treatment with acid as herein specified the materials must be agitated for the purpose of permitting the acid to act upon every particle of the matte under treatment.

Specification 01 Letters Patent. Application ma November 11, 1909; serial ms. 5273721 treat the comminuted.

. (18% to 25%) per cent. actual acid and preferably; at a temperature between 212 F. and 110 F.

Patented1\lov. 12, 1912*;

During hydrochloric acid, sulfureted hydrogen is evolved and any'iron or cobalt is the treatment of the matte with gas issolved. A small percentage of'the copper goes into solution. The nickelin solut on 1 with the iron, cobalt-and copper may be:

separated therefrom by any of the'usualxprocesses.

The acid used for the second treatment of matte has only become partially satisfied V possessing the power of further dissolv purpose.

, I claim e 1. The herein described process for ex tractmg or recovering nickel which consists in pulverizing the matte containing the nickel, treating the same with hydrochloric acid heated to a temperature ranging from 110 F.;t0 212 F. the material being agitated during such treatment; separating the" solution from the residue in any usual .way

and again treating the residual matte with hydrochlorle-acid as herein Specified.

consists in subjecting the matte to. a plu- .80? heated to a temperature ranging from berality of treatments with hydrochloric acid tween 110 F. to 212- F.1the solution ob tained being separated from the residue in any usual manner.

3. The herein described method of ex tracting nickel directly, i. e., Without roast ing. or reducing to metallic form, froma matte containing the same which consists in finely pulverizing the matte, treating the same.with heated hydrochloric acid diluted to contain from 18% .to 25% actual acid the material being agitated during such treatment; separating the solution from the residue in any usual way and again subject ing the' residual matte to hydrochloric acid as herein specifi i.

ing fresh matte and can be used forthis I "C 512 2. The herein described method of treat In testimony whereofll have signed this specification 1n the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

Homer: L. WELLS. Witnesses Fruinrmro C; EARLE, CLARA Ii. WEED. 

